Recording liquid

Claim 1

A recording liquid comprising: an aqueous liquid containing 0.1 to 20% weight of a recording agent having a molecular structure containing three structural units linked together through one or two linking groups, said structural units being represented by the formula ##STR14## wherein Q 3 and Q 4 independently represent a benzene ring or a naphthalene ring which may have a substituent, R 3 represents hydrogen or a sulfonic group, R 4 and R 5 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, amino ##STR15## wherein (R 6 and R 7 independently represent hydrogen, amino, monoethanolamino, acylamino, alkyl, or a sulfonic group), ##STR16## wherein (R 8 and R 9 independently represent hydroxyl, amino, monoethanolamino or diethanolamino), and l represents 0 or 1; said linking group being represented by the formula (Y): --(CH 2 )q--, --NHCONH--, --NHCO--, --O--, --SO 2 --, --NHCO(CH 2 ) r CONH--, --NH--, ##STR17## (wherein q and r are integers from 1-6) wherein, the sulfonic group and a carboxylic group in said structural units form a salt with a base selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, ammonia and organic amines.